Severe Weather Sweeps Across Great Plains, At Least Two People Hurt; Teens Get Stuck in Flooded Dallas Creek

Published May 9 2014 03:59 PM EDT

weather.com

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Severe storms rolled through the Plains Thursday, damaging homes, flooding roads and leaving at least two people injured.

"Seventy-three reports of severe weather were received by the Storm Prediction Center Thursday," said weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman. "An 'average' May severe weather day from 2002 to 2011 produced 172 severe weather reports."

A tornado warning was posted for the northeast side of Dallas at 3:34 p.m. CDT, but it was unclear whether an actual tornado had formed. In parts of Dallas, winds reached up to 70 mph Thursday afternoon, which tore holes in warehouse roofs and peeled away the front wall of a church.

“I don’t have information about the injuries other than at least one injury is very, very, serious,” Jamie Moore, Johnson County Emergency Management Office, told CBS Dallas.

According to the Associated Press, a mother and a child were also injured. Emergency management officials believe high winds, and not a tornado, are likely to blame. Large trees were also down across the area, which caused traffic problems and power outages.

The storms were the second round of dangerous weather to pulse through the Metroplex Thursday. In the morning, rescue crews pulled five teenagers out of creek in Dallas. Heavy rain, as much as 5 inches in some areas, sent streams and creeks rising, and the teenagers were trapped. All were rescued, but they were taken to a hospital.

In Minnesota, severe storms may have spawned several tornadoes Thursday evening, but no major damage or injuries were reported.

Tornadoes were reported near St. James and Lake Crystal Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service says a tornado also was confirmed near Madelia. Another tornado was reported around 8 p.m. near Gaylord, but the weather service say no damage or injuries are reported.

Heavy rain also was reported. Nicollet in south-central Minnesota received 2.2 inches of rain Thursday evening. Some street flooding was reported in Burnsville south of Minneapolis.

No injuries or deaths have been reported after more than a half-foot of rain inundated western Arkansas in a 24-hour period.

The National Weather Service says Mena received 5.68 inches of rain in a four-hour period Thursday with a daily total of more than 7 inches. The weather service says the relentless downpour caused creeks and streams to overflow and flooding over roads.

Several people had to be rescued from the high waters, and flash flood emergencies were issued until the rainfall ended Thursday night.

The weather service says a weak tornado may have touched down southwest of Russellville. Trees were uprooted and at least one mobile home was flipped over.

In South Dakota, the National Weather Service says golf ball-sized hail was reported near Sinai, while hail as big as baseballs fell near Urbandale.